The Power of Choice!

In aviation, the word "attitude" is a term that refers to the angle that the
plane meets the wind, if the wings are level with the horizon and whether the
aircraft is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility
for the attitude of his or her aircraft is in serious trouble. And likewise, any
leader who fails to control his or her thoughts and take responsibility for
their attitude runs a similar risk.

As a sales manager, you not only set the pace for your sales team, but you're
responsible for setting the tone as well. For better or worse, the leader's
attitude is contagious and permeates throughout their organization. Positive,
upbeat companies are always led by positive, upbeat managers. While we're not
always able to control our circumstances, we can and must control how we respond
to life's difficulties, setbacks and challenges. We have a choice about how our
day is going to be.

How often do you talk to yourself and what do you say? Research in the field
of psychology indicates that the average person maintains an ongoing mental
dialog, or "self-talk," of between 150 to 300 words per minute. Unfortunately,
not all of these thoughts are positive. In fact, it has been estimated that of
the thousands of thoughts we have each day, approximately 40 percent of them
tend to be negative and self-critical in nature. Most of us are generally
unaware of this negative background chatter, let alone its sabotaging effect on
our emotional state, performance and well-being.

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they
become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your
habits, for they will become your character. Develop your character, for it
becomes your destiny."

- Anonymous

Earl Nightingale, co founder of the Nightingale-Conant Corp., concluded that
life's "strangest secret" is that you become what you think about all day long.
If you want to know where your predominant thoughts lie and what you believe,
look at what you're experiencing in your life. Your thoughts are creative by
nature and express themselves through your emotions, which in turn, drive your
actions. Everything you say both positive and negative is in fact an affirmation
and reflects your belief.

Whatever you think, feel or say about your life today is the scaffolding that
builds the events you will experience in the future.

Affirmation and Positive Self-Talk William Shakespeare said, "nothing is good
or bad, but thinking makes it so." The first step in the process of changing
your belief system is to monitor your thoughts and the next step is to control
them through the power of choice. Once you become conscious of the critical
aspects of your internal dialogue, you can choose to reframe your negative
thoughts by substituting affirmative statements.

World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation and recognize the
impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance. They use the
power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety and increase their expectation
of achievement. To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple,
encouraging and stated in the present tense. By repeating an affirmation over
and over again it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind.

Do affirmations really work and can they propel a person to greatness? As a
teenager beginning his boxing career in Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay would
frequently affirm, "I am the greatest of all time!" While many considered him
boastful and few took this eighty-nine pound, twelve year old seriously,
Mohammad Ali used the power of affirmation to become the greatest boxer of all
time and arguably the most recognizable sports figure in the world.

Henry Ford was right when he said, "Whether you think you can or think you
can't - you're right." Your belief system, like your computer, doesn't judge
what you input; it simply accepts it as the truth. The key to cultivating and
maintaining a positive mental attitude is to use your power of choice and take
control of your thinking. It's a challenging task to develop a calm, focused
mind, but well worth the effort.

Action Plan: Here are some suggestions to help you have a good day every day.

1. Establish the habit of getting up early.

2. Upon rising, read or listen to something positive and inspirational.
Clinical studies indicate that our mind is most receptive to suggestion during
the first 15-minutes upon awakening. Here are some books that will help you
start your day off on the right foot.

"How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling" by Frank Bettger

"The Magic Of Believing" by Claude M. Bristol

"You'll See It When You Believe It" by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

"The Power Of Positive Thinking" by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

"Think and Grow Rich" by Dr. Napoleon Hill

"Psycho-Cybernetics" by Dr. Maxwell Maltz

3. Take a few moments to consider the upcoming activities of your day.
Visualize events flowing. See people accept your ideas and your day unfolding in
a harmonious and productive way. This is a good time to verbalize your
affirmations.

4. Take time for some physical exercise.

5. At noon, take a 10-minute mental break to relax and replenish your energy.

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes
and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. John is a nationally
recognized sales trainer and business motivational speaker with an impeccable
track record in the meeting industry. To have John speak at your next event,
visit www.johnboe.com or call 877 725-3750.
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